DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

For More Persistence in My Prayer Life

Lord Jesus,
Help me be more persistent in my prayers. I ask this both for my prayer life in general and regarding specific prayers. You were deliberate about carving out time in your busy ministry for speaking to our Father in prayer. Shift my attitude about prayer so that, rather than squeezing in prayers here and there when I randomly think of it, I instead order my schedule around set times for prayer. And when I pray specific prayers, prompt me to revisit those same prayers until our Father’s answer is clear. After all, you repeated the same prayer three times in Gethsemane before giving your life for us. Let my persistent prayer life reflect the worth I attach to the magnitude of your sacrifice for me, which earned for me the privilege of prayer in the first place.  

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

For Spouses to Grow as Companions

Loving Savior,
The blessing of companionship in marriage can be lost or forgotten when couples let busyness deceive them into believing they don’t have time for each other. The truth is, we are only as busy as we allow ourselves to be. When spouses take on more responsibilities and routinely say yes to requests, they don’t always stop to realize that in doing so, they are essentially saying no to each other. Help married couples take time to pause and discuss together what they are willing to add into their lives, so they consider what they are also giving up. Instill in them a determination to guard their time together fiercely, recognizing that companionship and closeness require both quantity and quality time with each other. Through these efforts, deepen their connection, strengthen their bond of unity, and increase their desire for each other.

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

To Extend Hospitality to Others

Friend of Sinners,
In our rushed, always-on-the-go lives, failing to slow down isn’t just unhealthy for us; it also affects our neighbor negatively – not necessarily by what we do, but by what we leave undone. Constant busyness and scrambling to keep up with stacked schedules leaves precious little time for hospitality. We easily overlook and neglect our neighbor’s needs when we allow little or no margin in our lives. Sometimes we even justify avoiding others on the basis of our busyness. Help us pause and ponder. Make us aware of those you’ve placed before us to whom we can show kindness, welcoming them into our lives with genuine friendliness and hospitable hearts. As we share our blessings and belongings with others whenever the chances arise, we show them how valued they are as we put love into action.

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

To Put – and Keep – You First Daily

Greatest Treasure,
Although we so easily and regularly convince ourselves otherwise, there is never anything on our daily to-do list as valuable as our time with you. There is simply no replacement for daily time spent in your Word. No matter how packed our day may be, no matter how much we need to get done, no matter how many pressing issues we’re facing, do not allow us to deceive ourselves into believing that we don’t have time for you or that such time somehow limits what else we can accomplish. You call on us to seek your kingdom and your righteousness, with the assurance that you will take care of the rest. Help us show you that we believe your promise by giving you the first fruits of each day, every day, and not the leftovers. Then, show us how graciously and reliably you keep your promise. 

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

For Rest

Loving Lord,
We are always on the go. We treat every gap in our schedule as a blank space that needs to be filled. We can’t stand missing out on the experience someone else (or someone else’s kids) had. Just one more thing. Just a little bit more. We are too easily deceived by the lie that we can pack 30+ hours into a 24-hour day.

We need rest – in our body, in our mind, in our spirit. Maintaining a breakneck pace in life takes its toll on our bodies. We cut out sleep and settle for a diet that leaves us undernourished. Our racing minds have lost the ability to unwind and unravel during even the slightest bit of downtime because our screens enslave us. Spiritually, you are often the last thing we try to squeeze in, and by that time, we’ve already exhausted ourselves. 

Forgive us. Refresh us. Renew us. Reframe our thinking so that we start with you and fit everything else after, for only in you will we ever find the kind of soul rest the world simply cannot provide.

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

To Replace My Stress With Trust

Loving Father,
When I look at the week ahead and feel overwhelmed by responsibilities and pressing deadlines, remind me not to worry, as each day has enough trouble of its own. The pressure I feel stems from falling into the trap of thinking I’m the one in control, and forgetting that you oversee all things and promise to work them all out for my good. Relieve me of my stress by increasing my trust in that promise. Help me align your spiritual truths with my day and week. Do not let me believe the lie that I have too much to do that I don’t have time for your Word; instead, direct me to prioritize it, so that your Spirit can still my soul and carry me through this week.

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

To Find Peace in Your Presence Through Worship

Heavenly Father,
Sundays are sacred. When we prioritize worship, we aren’t adding another weighty task to the to-do list of our already-busy holiday season. Instead, we are seeking refuge in the midst of our crazy, chaotic schedules. While we do find a measure of peace simply in slowing down our pace and limiting our obligations this time of year, the peace we find in your presence in your house of worship is unique. There we let out a spiritual sigh of relief as we exhale our sins in confession and breathe in deeply the fresh air of forgiveness. Let us never be too busy for time with you and the saints gathered together for worship – especially this time of year. Ready our hearts for both your Second Coming and our Christmas celebration of your First Coming. 

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

To Prepare for the Holidays

Dear Lord,
As October gives way to November, Thanksgiving and the holidays will be here soon. This time of year brings many opportunities for gathering together with family and friends, which can also usher in plenty of stress and anxiety. Keep me grounded in what matters – you – and guard me from over-scheduling and overcommitting myself and/or my family. Help those inclined to say yes to too much because they struggle with people-pleasing. Provide them with gracious and thoughtful responses to politely decline unnecessary activities or events. Let us manage our time well right now so that we allow opportunity for looking ahead and being well-prepared and ready for the upcoming weeks. In doing so, we can establish margin and boundaries to ensure that the holidays bring more blessing than burden.

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

To Value Your Gift of Time

Eternal Father,
Time is one of the most precious gifts you give us. Unfortunately, it often isn’t until a significant portion of time in our lives has passed us by that we realize it. When we are young, we feel as if time is an unlimited commodity. As we get older though, and unfinished tasks pile up, the window to achieving our hopes and dreams shrinks, and we see so many other lives cut short all around us, we treasure time more and more. Lead me to set aside time each day to give thoughtful consideration to how I intend to put your gift of time to use for those 24 hours. Limit the time that is so easily lost in useless or senseless activities. Guide me instead toward a profitable and fulfilling use of time that edifies, blesses, or serves others and me, while also bringing honor and glory to you.  

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

To Bless My Downtime

Selfless Savior,
Bless my downtime. I look forward to open time on my calendar when nothing is scheduled, but I can also mismanage it if I don’t have any ideas in mind about how I plan to use that time. Then, in contrast to the eager anticipation of looking forward to that time, I look back and regret it if I feel like it was wasted.  

Using your Word as my guide, help me to establish priorities and values that can help me feel as if my downtime is managed well. Let me be OK with simply doing nothing on occasion, and allowing my mind and body to recharge and reset. This is a blessing from you! At the same time, give me the discipline to manage affairs and responsibilities so that I don’t neglect them when I have extra time to take care of things. Activities and hobbies can bring fulfillment, too, as well as simply spending unscheduled time with friends and family members. Guard me from being too rigid when managing downtime, but let my use of it honor you, bless others, and be a blessing to me.

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.